Over the last decade, a growing body of research has asked a simple question: when addiction care moves online, do outcomes suffer, stay the same, or improve? The answer is increasingly clear, virtual treatment is at least as effective as in‑person care for many people, and in some cases leads to better engagement and retention, two of the strongest predictors of long‑term recovery (Lin et al., 2023).

What the research actually shows

A 2023 review of telemedicine for substance use disorders found that virtual care produced similar reductions in substance use compared with in‑person treatment, with more than half of patients retained in treatment at short‑term follow‑up in several studies (Lin et al., 2023). Another review of 22 studies reported that telehealth and other digital approaches not only reduced alcohol consumption but also improved patient satisfaction, quality of life, and access to care (National Institutes of Health [NIH], 2025). In a large multisite randomized trial of an internet‑delivered program added to standard care, participants using the web‑based platform stayed in treatment longer and were more likely to be abstinent at the end of treatment than those receiving standard treatment alone (Marsch et al., n.d.; Recovery Research Institute, 2025).

Importantly, telehealth for medications like buprenorphine has held up to close scrutiny. A study of Medicaid claims in Kentucky and Ohio found that patients who started buprenorphine via telehealth were more likely to stay in treatment for at least 90 days than those who started in traditional settings, with no increase in nonfatal overdoses (University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science [CCTS], 2023). Earlier work comparing face‑to‑face and telemedicine buprenorphine treatment also found no significant differences in additional substance use, days to 30 or 90 days of abstinence, or one‑year retention (Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 2019). In other words, seeing your addiction doctor on a screen instead of in an exam room does not appear to compromise safety or effectiveness (Recovery Centers of America, 2025).

Why virtual care can improve outcomes

The clinical ingredients that drive recovery, evidence‑based psychotherapy, medications for addiction treatment, relapse prevention planning, and ongoing monitoring, can all be delivered safely and effectively through secure video and digital tools (Lin et al., 2023; NIH, 2025). What virtual care changes most is not the content, but the context. When people can log in from home, they are less likely to miss appointments due to transportation problems, work schedules, caregiving responsibilities, or the stigma of walking into a treatment center. Studies of telehealth addiction services have documented that reducing these barriers translates into higher engagement and better retention, which in turn are linked to improved abstinence and functioning (Recovery Research Institute, 2025; Recovery Centers of America, 2025).

One large analysis of digital and remote interventions for substance use found that people receiving a remote intervention as a partial or full replacement for in‑person care were significantly less likely to relapse than those receiving usual care alone (NIH, 2025). Other research has shown that adding structured web‑based behavioral programs to standard treatment can further decrease substance use among people who are still actively using when they enter care (Marsch et al., n.d.). Together, these findings suggest that virtual care is not just “good enough” in a crisis, it can be a powerful enhancement to traditional models (Lin et al., 2023; NIH, 2025).

How Wholeview Direct fits into this evidence

At Wholeview, our fully virtual program, Wholeview Direct, was designed to align with this evidence base: secure telehealth visits for therapy and medication management, structured use of evidence‑based modalities, and a focus on engagement and retention as core outcomes (Wholeview Wellness, 2025a). By delivering care via Zoom and other secure platforms, our clinicians can treat patients across New York State and in several additional states, ensuring that people who might otherwise be shut out of specialty addiction care can participate consistently from home (Wholeview Wellness, 2025a; Wholeview Wellness, 2024). For patients covered by New York State Medicaid and many managed Medicaid and Essential Plans, Wholeview Direct is in network, which further reduces financial barriers that often undermine retention (Wholeview Wellness, 2025a).

Clinically, this means a patient can complete a comprehensive assessment, begin evidence‑based individual, group, and family/couples therapy, start or continue medications such as buprenorphine or naltrexone when appropriate, and participate in relapse‑prevention work—all without leaving the couch (Wholeview Wellness, 2025a; Wholeview Wellness, 2024). The research tells us that when these components are delivered with fidelity, outcomes match or exceed those of brick‑and‑mortar programs, particularly in terms of staying in care long enough to see meaningful change (Lin et al., 2023; NIH, 2025).

What this means for getting sober at home

None of this minimizes how hard it is to change a relationship with alcohol or other drugs; recovery still requires commitment, honesty, and support. But the data are reassuring: for many people, starting or continuing treatment from the living room is not a compromise; it is an evidence‑supported path to recovery that can be just as safe and effective as walking into a treatment program (Lin et al., 2023; NIH, 2025). As the research continues to evolve, the future of addiction treatment is likely to be a hybrid ecosystem, where patients move fluidly between virtual and in‑person services, choosing the level of structure and setting that best supports their long‑term goals (Recovery Research Institute, 2025; Recovery Centers of America, 2025). For a growing number of people, that first step happens at home, on a laptop or phone, connecting to a team that knows recovery can start right where they are (Recovery Centers of America, 2025).

References

Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. (2019). Telehealth addiction treatment outcomes. https://www.hazeldenbettyford.org/research-studies/addiction-research/telehealth-addiction-treatment

Lin, L. A., Coughlin, J. W., Liebrecht, C., et al. (2023). Telemedicine‑delivered treatment for substance use disorder: A review. Psychiatric Clinics of North America. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11444076/

Marsch, L. A., et al. (n.d.). Internet‑delivered treatment for substance abuse: A multisite randomized controlled trial. Center for Technology and Behavioral Health, Dartmouth. https://www.c4tbh.org/internet-delivered-treatment-for-substance-abuse-a-multisite-randomized-controlled-trial/

National Institutes of Health. (2025). How effective are remote and/or digital interventions as part of treatment for alcohol use disorder and alcohol misuse? A systematic review. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12215248/

Recovery Centers of America. (2025). Benefits of telehealth for addiction recovery. https://recoverycentersofamerica.com/blogs/benefits-of-telehealth-for-addiction-recovery/

Recovery Research Institute. (2025). Telehealth services have increased access to addiction care, but has everyone benefitted equally? https://www.recoveryanswers.org/research-post/telehealth-services-increased-access-addiction-care-has-everyone-benefitted-equally/

University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science. (2023). Findings: Telehealth supports retention for treatment of opioid use disorder. https://www.ccts.uky.edu/news/findings-telehealth-supports-retention-treatment-opioid-use-disorder

Wholeview Wellness. (2024). Wholeview Wellness: Pricing, specializations & photos (New York) [Provider profile]. Recovery.com. https://recovery.com/wholeview-wellness-new-york/

Wholeview Wellness. (2025a). FAQs – Wholeview (Wholeview Direct program details and coverage). https://wholeview.co/resources/faqs-wholeview/